Will Entrepreneur Les Edgar Bring TVR Back From The Dead?

The Internet lit up with speculation at the start of this week, when the legend 'Roaring Back' appeared on TVR's website. A couple of days later it transpired that Blackpool's most famous car manufacturer had been bought by a new British company, named TVR Automotive Ltd.

TVR was founded by Trevor Wilkinson (TreVoR - geddit?) in 1948. Its first flush of success came in the Sixties, with the four-cylinder Grantura and V8 Griffith coupes. But it wasn't really until the Nineties, under the ownership of Peter Wheeler, that TVR's fibreglass-bodied sports cars really hit their stride. Griffith, Chimaera, Cerbera, Tuscan, Tamora, Sagaris; all great names, all great cars. They even started building their own engines. But by the early 2000's sales were falling and the coffers were running dry.

Step forward Russian business-boy Nikolay Smolensky. The 24 year-old bought TVR in 2004 for a reported £15 million. But despite promises and a thoroughly facelifted Tuscan, no new models were launched. Sales continued to fall and by the end of 2006, it was all over as the Blackpool factory closed its doors. Several false starts followed. Most recently Smolensky had been planning to put the TVR name on wind turbines.

This week it was announced that Surrey-based entrepreneur Les Edgar bought the rights to the TVR name from Smolensky. Edgar has serious form in the automotive world, having been behind Aston Martin's return to GT racing a decade ago. Edgar told TopGear.com that TVR Automotive Ltd. has 'a lot of plans' for the marque, but wouldn't be drawn to comment on any specifics. But he did confirm that TVR would remain a car manufacturer.

Let's hope we soon see some new cars carrying the TVR badge tearing up the roads in a cloud of tyre smoke, with a bellowing soundtrack.

Watch Clarkson test the TVR Sagaris

Image source: Netcarshow.com